Early American history is dominated by engaging and iconic figures - none more intriguing than Benjamin Franklin. Chandler, balladeer, poet, printer, writer, humorist, satirist, swimmer, businessman, inventor, philosopher, soldier, administrator, scientist, politician, ladies' man, musician, humanitarian, philanthropist - it's almost easier to list the things Franklin was not than try to explain the pursuits and interests of this multi-faceted man.
In this course, you'll study with noted historian H.W. Brands, the New York Times best-selling author of The First American, which also earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination. Brands is a scholar who truly captures the essence of Franklin and the times in which he lived. This course examines the life of Franklin and his influence on both American and world history. From his early days as a printer's apprentice to very nearly his last days, Benjamin Franklin's thirst for knowledge and his desire to share what he knew brought him to the forefront of a changing world. His contributions through inventions, scientific investigation, and political thought still echo more than 200 years after his passing. He remains the model of the American thinker - a man who was interested in nearly everything, and who pursued those interests with an admirable and contagious passion. To study Franklin's life is to learn not only the history of a single man, but to understand some of the most monumental changes in all of human history.
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"This book's big strength is its size. Whether a reader is interested in Franklin's political, scientific, professional, or personal life, it all fits. The author chooses a vividly narrated style rather than an analytical one, something like a novel and even more like a TV documentary. Well-chosen tangents illuminate the historical context, so that even though I don't have the most detailed background on the eighteenth century I could still follow what was going on."
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Silvio (5 out of 5 stars)